I wear fun socks. I wear socks that have bright colors, tropical fish, palm trees, flamingos, fun jokes, and big dots. Last month I presented at a local chamber meeting, wearing socks with pictures of our building on it. While there, the question of why I wear fun socks and publish a blog with that name came up. Here’s the story of why we do what we do.
When we started HR consulting, our blog was called HR Hot Topics. In 2015 we recognized what a snoozer that was and decided to rebrand our blog into something more relevant to business leaders. That’s where the name Fun Socks comes in. As a business owner at that time, I learned that running a business could be an all-consuming endeavor. If I wasn’t working on the business, I was worrying about it. As my wife told me at the time: “You’re stressed when business is too busy, stressed when it is too slow, and it is never in the middle.”
That is not healthy or sustainable and wasn’t leading to the best results for our customers.
When I attended a presentation by a company who sold cool socks, it got me thinking. We all need some levity in our lives. Why not do it with a splash of color and use socks as a reminder of the importance of doing something fun every day? That’s when I started wearing fun socks and used them to encourage others to embrace a positive approach to leadership, starting with themselves.
The past two years have been especially tough on business leaders. Taking some time to care for ourselves is critical to being able to support the needs of our teams. At Rose Street, one of our core values is “Fun people creating a fun place to work.” What could be better than doing that through your socks?
What are you doing to keep focused, stay refreshed, and in a good space personally? Share your tips with us, we’d love to hear!